This Post Is The First In Part Of A Series Where We Will Explore Different Recording Signal Chains And How Combining Different Gear Can Create Different Tones And Textures.

Signal chains are like recipes; all the ingredients and cooking techniques come together to make something very special and unique. Just because a recipe has sugar in it, doesn’t mean the final product is sweet. Recording and signal chains are the same way. The whole is much more unique, not necessarily greater, than the sum of its parts.

We’re looking at 5 classic vocal chains. The sound profile of these vocal chains have been used by some of the most talented and respected vocalists in the recording industry.

For each vocal chain, we will cover:

• What's In The Chain?

• Sound Profile

• Famous Artists Who Have Used This Chain

• Why This Chain?

Let's get started!


Big Studio Vocals
WA-8000 - WA73-EQ - WA-1B - BUS-COMP

Sound Profile:
Defined high-end with clarity and brilliance. Open-sounding preamp with selectable frequency emphasis. Compression that can go from gentle and transparent to “grabby” and tight depending on settings. Add the BUS-COMP to create a big-studio console sound to the whole mix bus.

Who Can You Sound Like?
Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, Drake, Eminem, Mariah Carey.

Why This Chain?
The WA-8000 mic brings pristine highs that rise from 10-12K and taper off to roll off the harshest treble frequencies. The WA73 brings an open, saturated tone depending on the settings. This makes the initial mic/preamp combo so versatile. Dial in the WA73 for more clarity to keep the WA-8000 pristine, or raise the input gain (red knob) to get more saturation for an underground vibe. The compressor you choose will depend on whether you’re trying to control the vocal dynamics strongly so there’s little change in volume (choose the WA76) or gently bump down the peaks (choose the WA-2A) on a dynamic vocal singing performance.Add a BUS-COMP at the end of the vocal bus or overall mix to get that “big console” sound, made popular by major label radio hits from the 90s-2000s and still sought-after today.